Who We Are

Studio E

The EFEPA is excited to announce that the Epilepsy Art Therapy Program is being offered for for the second year in a row for people with epilepsy in the Wyoming Valley Area of North Eastern Pennsylvania. Offered by Epilepsy Foundation affiliates across the country, Studio E empowers people with epilepsy to creatively express feelings related to epilepsy and connect with one another in a safe environment. As a result, the program yields beautiful and meaningful works of art that educate both others with epilepsy and the general public.

“Studio E has made a positive impact in the lives of many people with epilepsy and has provided a new way for them to express their feelings,” said Allison McCartin, Executive Director, EFEPA, “Art therapy has been shown to help people with epilepsy convey their emotions and experiences with epilepsy and, as a result, increase confidence and self-awareness. We are so pleased to be able to offer Studio E to people in the Wyoming Valley area of the EFEPA.”

Stay Tuned for 2015 Program Dates!

Artwork from a Studio E participant will be displayed at the National Institutes for Health all through December 2014!

Program participants, art therapists, Epilepsy Foundation representatives and others have reported positive outcomes from the 2011 and 2012 programs. These accounts indicate the program has helped people with epilepsy express difficult feelings, become more comfortable engaging with others and build confidence. To better validate these outcomes, plans are underway to use Studio E as a platform to conduct research that may provide us with a more rigorous understanding of the benefits of art therapy.

“The Studio E program cultivates an accepting, non-threatening atmosphere where participants are empowered to take risks both verbally as well as visually,” said Phil Gattone, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. “Honest conversations took place between participants through the course of the sessions, and by the end of the program, participants were more willing to articulate fears due to having epilepsy and the impact epilepsy has on their daily lives.”

Studio E is made possible through a partnership between the Epilepsy Foundation and Lundbeck, a
pharmaceutical company committed to people impacted by epilepsy. The program was piloted in 2011 by four cities and expanded to more than 20 cities across the country in 2012. Participants with seizure disorders of varying severities entered the program led by licensed art therapists.

“At Lundbeck, we understand that living with epilepsy can be challenging and can sometimes feel isolating,” said Daniel Brennan, vice president of neurology at Lundbeck. “We’re proud to partner with the Epilepsy Foundation to give Studio E participants the chance to experience the opportunity to express emotions and connect with others in their community.”